Adjustable wheel-flange.



' mente-d may 29, |900.` H. mmc. f @AnJusTABLE WHEEL FLANGE.

A (Application filed Nov; 14, 1899.)Av

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N iran STATES PATENrQrriCn-i HENRY FATC, OF MIDDLETOVN, NDANA.

ADJUSTABLE WH L-FLANG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letter'sfatent No. 650,505, dated May 29, 1900. Application filed November 14, 1899. Serial No.'736,982. (No modem To all whom, it may cm1/@crm Be itknown'that I, HENRY FATIC, a citizen of the United States, residing at Middletown, in the county of Henry and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvement-s in Adjustable Vheel-Flanges, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to a flange for the tread of a vehicle-wheel thatis separate from the revolving wheel, being supported by a sleeve on the axle, but can be made to extend below the tread of the wheel similar to the integral flange on a car-wheel in close proximity to the tire of the wheel, or can be drawn upwardly when it is desired to use the vehi-` cle on a roadway instead of on a raised track.

Referring to the drawings, in which the numerals refer to the same parts in the several views, Figure 1 is an elevation of a runninggear of a wagon, taken on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2, showing parts in plan. Fig. 2 is an elevation taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is the eccentric disk. Fig. 4 isa perspective view of part of the axle. Figs. 5, G, and 7 show a modification. Fig. 8 is another modiication.

In the several views 10, represents the axles of the vehicle, in Figs. 1 to 5 made of iron. At their extremities they are shaped as shown in Fig. ei. The main part of the axle 10 is connected with the journal extremity 11 by an eccentric spindle 12. Between the spindle and the part 10 is a collar 18. (Shown in Fig. iin detail.) This spindle has a spiral groove 14, to be referred to hereinafter. An eccentric sleeve 15 has its aperture 16 to rotate ou the spindle 12 as a bearing. The parts 11 and 12 are made separately from the main part of the axle 10 and preferably the spindle 12 is tapped into the part 10 after the sleeve 15 has been slipped on the spindle. The thickness of the sleeve is about half the length of the spindle 12, and the aperture 16 has a pin 17, that engages the spiral groove v14. 1t will be observed that the aperture 16 is eccentric to the periphery of the sleeve and the eccentricity is made just equal to that of the spindle 12 with the hub 11. The sleeve has a flange 18, against which on the smaller periphery of the sleeve rotates a wheel-or disk 19, preferably made as shown in Fig. 1. A set of levers serveto operate on the sleeve 15 to give it the spiral movement, consisting of ina-in lever 20, extending fore and aft and actuatedbya usual form of brake-h andle 21, that has the customary locking-rack on the side of the wagonbody. The lever 2O at each end is jointed to an arm 22 of a rock-shaft23, one on each axle. This rock-shaft has a bent arm 24 at each end, whose extremity engages a slot 26"in the inner face of the sleeve 15. Consequently when the system of levers is actuated these four arms 24 will each give the sleeves 15 a spiral movement on the spindles 12;' but the eccentric bearing of the disk 19 willvgive it a rotary motion of translation with respect to the wheel, and the spiral movement of the sleeve will also cause a simultaneous movement of the disk to or from the said wheel. Now the eccentricity of the sleeve being equal to that of the spindle 12 to the axle 11, it is evident that as the said eccentricity of the spindle is greatest in a downward direction when the sleeve is in vits highest position from the ground-line the periphery of the sleeve on which the disk revolves will be concentric with the wheel; also, thatin the lowest position of the sleeve the said disk will be in the position of greatest eccentricity. The location of the pin 17 on the sleeve is suchrthat when the said spiral movement of the sleeve brings it nearest to the wheel the disk revolving von the sleeve will be in its uppermost position and nearest to the wheel, while when the sleeve is in the farthest position from the wheel the disk will be in its lower position.

The wheels, as shown in the views, are preferably made with a flange 25 on the inner face, thus forming a recess 26. The disks 19 are preferably of the same diameter as this IOO 7 the sleeve 30 is made sectional, as shownV in Fig. 6. The axle 3l in this case is rectan-Y gular and contains two diagonal slots 32 on" opposite sides. The aperture in the sleeve 30 is shaped to fit on the vaxle and slide ve'rtically thereon, the opening being lon ger than v the vertical depth of the axle. On the opposite sidesof this aperture are located feathers 33 33, which engage the grooves 32 32 on the sides of the axle 3l. The sleeve-sections are .boltedrtogether on the axle,\with the feathers 33 sliding in the said grooves 32. Hence any force applied to the sleeve tending to move it vertically will give it a movement diagonal to the wheel and axle. This sleeve 30 has a bearing 3ft, on which rotates a disk 35. Vhen the -sl'eeve 30 is in the uppermost position, the disk will be in close proximity to the wheel, as shown in Fig. 6, and when the sleeve is in the lower position the disk will have its lower periphery to extend below the tread of the wheel, similar to the disk in Fig. To impartl movement to the sleeve 30, it has a slot 3G in its inner side face, in which opervates an arm 24, similar to that shown in Fig. 2.

While I preferably form the bearing on the axle-forithe sleeve eccentric with the axle,

as shown in Fig. 4.-, this sleeve-bearingrmay be concentric with the axle, as shown in Fig. S, and no longer than the width of the sleeve, in which case the disk will not have a movement to and from the wheel, but it will be given a movement of translation in its plane of rotation. It will approach and recede from the rails by a motion through an are of a circle, as in the form shown in Fig. l.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In the mechanism of the character described, the combination with the wheel and the axle, of a sleeve mounted on said axle, a disk rotating on said sleeve, means for normally retaining said sleeve with said disk concentric With said wheel, and means for Inoving said sleeve to a position in which said disk shall be eccentric to said Wheel with its lower periphery extending below the tread of said wheel, substantially as set forth.

2. In a mechanism of the character dcscribed,the combination with the recessed wheel and the axle, of a sleeve mounted on said axle, adisk rotating on said sleeve, means for normally retaining said sleeve with said disk concentric with said Wheel and located in said recess, and means for moving said sleeve to a position in which said disk shall loe eccentric to said Wheel with its lower pe- -riphery extending below the tread of said Wheel, substantially as set forth.

In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with the wheel and the axle, of a sleeve mounted on said axle, a diskon'saidsleeve, and means for giving said sleeve and disk a movement of translation in a direction diagonal to the plane of rotation of said wheel and also te the axis of said axle, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4.. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with the wheel and the axle, a sleeve mounted on said axle and a disk on said sleeve, of means for imparting a movement of translation to said disk and sleeve in a spiral direction to and from said Wheel, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

l 5. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with the Wheel and axle, of an eccentric spindle connecting the journal-bearing of said axle with the axle proper, said spindle having a spiral groove thereon, a flanged sleeve having an aperture therein eccentric to its periphery,l said aperture adapted to fit on said spindle, said sleeve having also a slot in its inner face, a pin on said sleeve engaging said spiral groove on said spindle, a disk revolving on said flange on said sleeve, and a bent lever engaging said slot in said sleeve and adapted to impart a spiral movement to said sleeve and disk, sub

stantially as and for the purposes set forth.

G. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with the wheel and the axle, of a sleeve mounted on said axle and in proximity to said wheel, a bearing on said sleeve eccentric to said bearing of said sleeve on said axle, a disk mounted on said bearing on said sleeve, and means for rotating said sleeve on said axle, to give said disk a movement ot' translation, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' HENRY FATIC.

Witnesses:

PAUL FArIe, VIVIAN FATIC.

IOO 

